ALLENTOWN
-- U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel's new best friend could be Lehigh Valley
Congressman Pat Toomey.
Hoeffel, who
visited
Allentown
on Dec. 10 during his statewide tour to officially launch his bid
for the U.S. Senate, could benefit by a fractured Republican base
should Toomey upset U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in the Republican
primary on April 27. Some Democrats remain skeptical that scenario
will occur.
"If Pat
Toomey, by some miracle, beats Specter then it will really be a
battle," said
Northampton
and Lehigh Democratic Party Chairman Emrich
M. Stellar.
Hoeffel, 53,
has known political battles during his tenure in the 13th
Congressional District, which includes a portion of
Montgomery
County
and most of
Northeast Philadelphia
. Now in his third term, Hoeffel has had to battle to maintain a
seat in the wealthiest of
Philadelphia
's suburbs where Republicans have a 1.5 to 1 registration
advantage over Democrats according to the American Political
Science Association.
In a district
boasting a median household income of $44,764, Hoeffel has
emphasized fiscal responsibility although he has been anointed as
a liberal for his views on abortion and gun control among
Republican operatives. He was a target of the GOP-controlled
redistricting process after the 2000 census according to the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Hoeffel
survived the GOP attacks and doled out an assault of his own
against the Republicans during his
Allentown
visit.
In a short
speech before 25 supporters at the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers building on
West Liberty Street
, Hoeffel railed against the high cost of prescription drugs, the
war in
Iraq
and the state's inability to retain college graduates. He promised
to bring new jobs to
Pennsylvania
and protect the environment and criticized Bush Administration
initiatives to weaken the Clean Air and Water acts. He saved his
some of his sharpest criticism for Specter.
"(Specter)
no longer represents the viewpoints and voices in
Pennsylvania
," he said. "Some days it's Darlin'
Specter, some days it's Snarlin'
Arlen, but every day he's trying to have it both ways. Let's treat
him one way and give him a much deserved retirement."
Hoeffel was
joined by
Northampton
and Lehigh Democratic Party Chairmen Joe Long and Stellar, as well
as Allentown Mayor Roy C. Afflerbach.
"He will
walk the walk, talk the talk and do the job that has to be done to
get the next Senate seat in
Pennsylvania
," Long said.
Stellar said
he was pleased a Democratic candidate had finally entered the
Senate race.
"I'm glad
that we have opposition," he said. "I think Hoeffel is a
very credible campaigner. He knows how to get elected."
In 1976
Hoeffel began his political career as a state representative,
becoming the first Democrat to represent the Abington area in 60
years, according to the Institute for Corean-American
Studies. He served four terms in the state House from 1977 through
1984, when he lost his first bid for Congress. In 1991 he was
elected to
Montgomery
County
's board of commissioners. In 1996 Hoeffel felt the bitter taste
of narrow defeat when he ran for the U. S. House of
Representatives in the 13th Congressional District, challenging
freshman incumbent Jon Fox. He lost by 84 votes. Two years later
he won the seat in a resounding victory.
Hoeffel is a
graduate of
William
Penn
Charter
School
and holds a bachelor of arts degree in
English from
Boston
University
and is a graduate of
Temple
University
Law
School
, according to Project Vote Smart. In Congress he is a member of
the International Relations and Transportation and Infrastructure
committees.
Hoeffel's road
to Democratic nomination for Senate does not currently include a
primary opponent. Potential challenger Charlie Crystle
announced he would not run in the interest of party unity after
meeting with Gov. Ed Rendell, according to Crystle's
Web site. Tom Hickey, Hoeffel's campaign spokesman, said he
expects no other Democrats to emerge before the April primary.
Hickey said
Hoeffel's visit will be the first of many in the
Lehigh
Valley
.
"He
intends to spend a tremendous amount of time in the Valley,"
he said.
Stellar said
the number of Hoeffel's appearances in the
Lehigh
Valley
would depend on who wins the Republican primary. If Toomey wins,
Lehigh
Valley
residents could see more of Hoeffel, Stellar said.
Hoeffel's
Allentown
visit was the last stop on his tour which included
Harrisburg
,
Scranton
,
Fort
Washington
,
Pittsburgh
and
Erie
.
